Middle-age women have highest rate of depression

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests that women are more depressed than men, and that women between 40 to 59 have the highest rate of depression in the U.S. About one out of eight women in that age group suffer from depression.

The study also found that only 35 percent of people who had severe depression reported having seen a mental health professional in the past year

The researchers evaluated whether the participants had depression by conducting in-person interviews and questioning them about symptoms of depression. They found that the rate of depression generally increased with age, with 5.7 percent of youth ages 12 to 17 reporting having the condition, but 9.8 percent of adults ages 40 to 59 saying the same. People 60 and older, however, had a lower rate of depression (5.4 percent) than people in other age groups.

The report also found that 15 percent of people who live in poverty had depression, meaning that they were more than twice as likely to have depression as people living above the federal poverty level.

The researchers also noted that the actual rate of depression may be higher because people suffering from depression would be more likely to decline to participate in the study.

U.S. birth rate hits record low

The U.S, birth rate continues to drop, according to a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control’s National Center for Health Statistics. In fact, it hit an all-time low last year, the sixth year in a row that the birth rate declined.

In 2013, 3.93 million babies were born in the U.S., down less than 1 percent from 2012, but 9 percent lower than 2007, when a record-breaking 4.32 million babies were born in the country.

According to the report, only 62.5 births per 1,000 women between ages 15 and 44 occurred in 2013, a record low since 1909, when the government first started keeping track.

Not surprisingly, the birth rate varied from age group to age group. For women under 30, the birth rate is down; for women older than 30, however, childbearing continues to rise. In 2013 birth rates for women ages 35 and over were at the highest levels seen in approximately 50 years, the report noted. It even increased for women between 45 and 49.

Lastly, and probably the best news: the birth rate for teens fell 10 percent from 2012, dropping to 26.5 birth per 1,000 women.

Drug shows promise in repairing spinal cord injuries

A drug developed by scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Ohio may one day be able to help people who have suffered spinal cord injuries. During a recent study on rats, the drug showed promise in restoring some movement as well as bladder control.

After a spinal cord injury, scar tissue releases sugary protein which acts like glue. That prevents nerve tissue from growing across the site of the injury.

The research team injected a chemical under the skin of the animals, which crossed into the spinal cord and disrupted the activity of the glue. In the tests, 21 out of 26 rats showed some degree of recovery either in their ability to move or in bladder function.

Before human trials could begin, the team would need to test the drug on larger animals. The researchers said that they see this drug as a possible future therapy that would work alongside other treatments, such as nerve transplants and electrical stimulation.

Sitting at work raises obesity risk for women

There’s a link between sitting on the job and an increase in body mass index (BMI), especially for black women, according to a new study at Washington University in St. Louis.

It is well known that prolonged sitting raises the risk of many conditions such as high blood pressure and cancer. This study, published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease, sought to quantify the association between occupational sitting time and BMI by gender and race without taking into account physical activity outside of work.

Researchers interviewed 1,891 people from four Missouri metropolitan areas, ages 21-65 who worked in an office for 20 or more hours a week. Participants answered questions on socio-demographic background and time spent sitting at work, with researchers comparing results between men and women as well as black and white women. The study found that women who spent 31-180 minutes a day sitting were 1.53 times more likely to be obese and women who spent more than 360 minutes a day sitting were 1.70 times more likely to be obese. They did find, however, that this link differed by race and that sitting for long hours seemed to have a greater impact on black women.

Experts speculated that this kind of information may accelerate the use of standing desks in offices.